Desk set



1930. V 7 .w. F. BENS'ONI' DESK SET Filed Dec. 25-, 1927 2Sheets-Sheei I n veni'of:

Patented O ct. 7 193) WALTER F. BENSON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

imsx sm 7 Application filed December 23, 1627. Serial No. 242,035.

My invention relates to desk sets, and par-' ticularly to desk sets for'holdingfountain pens. Among the objects of the invention are the provision of improved means for supporting a pen receiving tube and theprovision of efiicient means for sealing the. feed portion of the pen after insertion in the tube in order to prevent the ink from drying out and clogging the pen.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection, with the detailed description thereof, and the novel features of my inventive idea will be par ticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the application of my invention,

Fig. 1 is an elevational' view of the device with the upper portion thereof broken away. Fig. 2 is a view in'section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 andshowing a pen in place in the device. Fig. 3 is a view in section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a. sectional view of a slight modification. Fig. 5 is a sectional view'of a spring finger member before it is assembled in the form'of device shown in Fig. 4. Fig, 6 is a view of another modification in section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 7 is a view in sectionon the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

As shown in the drawings', I provide a suitable base 10 having a groove-12; in its upper surface. The lower surface of'the base i is provided with a recess 14 and the upper surface of the base contains a shallower recess 16 which provides a seat for a post 18 preferably made of hardrubber. The recess 14 receives the head of a screw 20 which passes up through the base and is threaded into a screwthreaded hole in the lower end of y the post 18. The upper end of this post is made 'in-the form of asocket 22. A cup member or concaved piece of metal 24 is,

placed in the bottom of the'socket and. this member 24 has a central downward projection 26whicli is surrounded by the upper end ofa coiled spring 28 placed in. a recess in the post which extends down from the curved surface of thesocket. A ball '30 preferably. of metal'isplac'ed in the socket so as to rest on the member 24 and this ball I tending out from its lower end.

is held in place on the socket by means of a ring 32 preferably of hard rubber secured -to the upper side of the socket by screws-34.

Fig. 2 shows a thin flanged ring 36 sprung over the ring 32." The ring 36 may be made of gold or other high grade material and serves to give an ornamental appearance and .to cover the screws 34. The ball 30 is pro-p Vided with a screwthreaded hole 38 which is ofi center and extends part way through the ball. Cooperating with the ball 30 there is a-hard rubber tube 40 having a nipple 42 exscrew 44 which is axially related to the tube 40 passes fixedly through the nipple 42 and through a sleeve 46 having its lower end curved ,to fit.

upon the ball 30. The sleeve 46 permits the tube '40 carrying the screw 44 to be turned so thatthe screw may be turned down into the hole in the ball until the nip le 42 comes engagement with t 1e sleeve 46.

ference of the circle. 'For convenience the tube will be referred to as being secured to the ball in ofi'set relation to the center thereof. The tube 40 carries a hard rubber disk 48 in its bottom lying over the head of screw 44.

Above the diskfi48 there is a soft rubber sleeve '50'which' is held in place by a hard rubber sleeve 52 secured in the upper 'portion of the tube 40 in suitable manneras by sweating it in place. The base 10 contains a recess 54 adapted to be closed by a screw plug 56. In the form shown in Fig. 4, a tube-58 is used in place of the tube 40. The lower end 7 of the tube 58 is internally threaded to re-r ceive the externally threaded end ofa nipple 60. The interior of the tube 58 isprovided with a circumferential shoulder 62 located near the upper end thereof and is provided with a circumferential shoulder 64 about midway of the length of the tube. Before the nipple member 60 is securedin place, a.

sleeve 66 of resilient material is pushed into the tube from the bottom thereof so as to vided with a plurality of spring fingers 68 for a purpose which will appear later. A

v the bolt 84 holds the socket member securely 13 held in the recess a 90 relaion to the screws 100.

sleeve of soft rubber is then pushed into the tube so as'to engage the shoulder 64. A hard rubber disk 72 is placed against the lower end of the sleeve 70 and then the nipple member 60 carrying the screw 44 is screwed against the disk '72. The tube 58 obviously secured to the ball in the same manner as the tube 40.

In the form ofinvention and 7, there is a suitable base 74 having a groove 76 in its upper surface. The base 74 is shown as being thinner than thebase 10 of the form previously described and it is not shown with the recess or compartment 54. The lower surface of the base 74 is provided with a recess 78 and the upper surface of the base contains a shallower recess 80 which provides, a seat for a post 82 preferably made of hard rubber. The recess 78 receives the head of a bolt 84 which passes up through the base and through the post 82 into a recess 86 formed in the upper portionof the post which portion is enlarged to produce a socket member 88. A nut 90 screwed on the upper end of to the base 74. ball 92 preferably of metal or socket of the socket The socket 86 is not rounded as the socket previously described member 88. in the caseof but is angular and the ball does not fit down upon the bottom thereof. Different means is,

therefore, provided for holding the ball in the socket. As shown, the upper inner edge of the socket member 88 is rabbeted to provide an annular groove which constitutes a seat for a ring 94 preferably of hard rubber which is held in place by an annular plate .96 of gold or other high grade material secured by screws 98. The ball 92'is secured to the ring 94 by two diametrically opposite screws 100 which pass horizontally through the ring and extend radially into the ball. A pen receiving tube 40 is secured to the ball in offset relation to the center thereof. It will-be understood that the construction of the tube 40 may be the same as shown in Fig. 2 and further description thereof is therefore unnecessary, the same reference characters being employed to designatethe parts which are associated with the tube 40. Attention may, however, be called to the fact that in this form of the invention, the offset screw 44 occupies The operation and advantages of my invention will be apparent in connection with the foregoing description. By attaching the tube 40, or the tube 58, tothe ball 80m 0&- set relation to the center thereof, it is evident that the tube carrying a pen P held therem can be turned further in a downward direction than would be the case if the tube ocshown in Figs. 6-

- with each other,

cupied a radial position with relation to the ball. It is also evident that the tube can be turned around horizontally in addition to have an up and down, movement in a vertical plane. The spring 28 keeps the ball under sufiicient friction so that the tube and pen will be maintained in any desired position. When the pen is in place in the tube, the lower end of the pen carrying the nib and feed is effectively sealed by the soft rubber sleeve. In the form shown in Fig. 2, the circumferential flange F above the pen point is pushed into the upper end of the soft rubber sleeve 50 to make the seal. In the form shown in Fig. 4, the spring fingers 68 engage above the flange F and hold the lower surface thereof firmly in contact with the upper edge of the soft rubber sleeve 70 to make the seal.

The recess 54 provides a compartment for receiving a cap C adaptedto be fitted upon the pen P when it is desired to carry the same around separately from the base and the holding tube. In order to make it convenient to carry the pen in the pocket or in a handbag, the upper portion of the pen is shown as consisting of a tapered detachable end member M which may be removed when it is desired to thus carry the pen. In the form shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the tube 40 may be swung up and down in a vertical plane since the screws 100 constitute trunnions which are capable of turning in the ring 94. The degree of frictional engagement of the ball and socket is determined according to how firmlythe screws 100 are screwed down. The pen-receiving tube can also be turned around horizontally since the ring 94 is capable of rotative movement in its seat.

I claim:

1. A desk set comprising a base, a socket member extending up from said base, a ball held in the socket of said member, and a pen receiving tube secured to said ball in offset remember extending up from said base, a ball 'held in the socket of said member, said ball having a screw-threaded hole which is ofl center, means in said member for keeping said ball and member in frictional engagement a pen receiving tube, a sleeve having a lower end which is curved to fit upon said ball and having an upper end which is straight transversely, and a screw axially carried by said tube whereby the latter may be secured to said ball in oflset relation to the center thereof upon passing said screw through said sleeve.

4. In a desk set, a base, a ball, means to mount the ball for universal movement, a pen holder, and means to connect the pen holder {)0 1the ball to one side of the center of the a In testimony whereof I hereunto afi'lx my signature.

WALTER F. BENSON. 

